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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/23976367">So, What Really Happened?</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/danke_rose/pseuds/danke_rose'>danke_rose</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Excalibur (Comic)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Earth 1289 also known as Barsoom, Gen, Other characters in minor roles - Freeform, Suggestions of Dubcon, first time writing this style, kurtty friendship, mentions of false god, mild violence (not graphic), sex implied but not described, suggestions of noncon, tentacle creature - Freeform</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-05-04</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-05-04</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-02 18:41:16</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Mature</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>5</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>5,441</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/23976367</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/danke_rose/pseuds/danke_rose</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Three times Kurt told Kitty what happened between him and Anjulie when he was separated from the team on Earth 1289, and one time Anjulie told her.  Bonus chapter at the end.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Kitty Pryde &amp; Kurt Wagner</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>52</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>11</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Venting</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>I've never written anything in this style before, and I'm not sure if it's quite right, but anyway, I'm giving it a shot.  This came from a conversation with MHammerman, who suggested I write something like it (thank you so much for that and for all the inspiration to write it--I hope it doesn't disappoint!).  </p><p>For background, this takes place during the Excalibur Cross Time Caper, specifically issues 16 and 17.  In these issues, a mystery narrator tells the story of how Excalibur came to be on this world and defeat its evil ruler, the sorceress Anjulie.  We learn at the end that the narrator is Kitty, and it appears Kurt may have listened to her tale.  </p><p>I refer to the world as Barsoom.  This name is directly from the Edgar Rice Burroughs books about John Carter on Mars/Barsoom, but it's also now mentioned in some of the Marvel fan sites in reference to Earth 1289.  I'm pretty sure that's where I must have seen it, because I've never read the Burroughs books.</p><p>This particular set of chapters deals with a few specific scenes, those between Nightcrawler and Anjulie, and later, him and Kitty.</p><p>These came from wondering how Kitty learned about what happened to Nightcrawler, if he told her, if she made it up, or if she found out some other way.  I recently wondered if Anjulie herself didn't tell the team, bragging at her most recent conquest before sending the rest of them to their deaths.</p><p>Also, the idea that Kurt might not have been fully on board with the situation has always bothered me, and it's suggested in a couple of these chapters.  When Anjulie comes for him the first time, he wishes he had his powers of teleportation (all their powers are suppressed on this world) so he could get away from her.  It is after this that he seems to be having fun, though he still questions Anjulie in his mind.  Anjulie's power is manipulation through seduction (apparently); she already seduced and enthralled Kymri's father.</p><p>Chapters are relatively short, and somewhat repetitive, as they are slightly different imaginings of the same basic scenes.  I hope they're different enough to be interesting.  </p><p>Setup for Chapter One:<br/>Kitty never talked to Kurt about what happened when they were separated.  Kitty assumed he went along with Anjulie willingly.  She's annoyed/hurt by what she thinks happens, and that he didn't immediately come looking for the rest of the team.  She tells the story to vent her frustration and poke a little fun at him.</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“Nice choice in babes, Fuzzy Elf,” Kitty snapped as Kurt sliced her free of the slimy, green tentacle.</p><p>He didn't respond, and there was no time for her to press him. The giant squid-like creature still held the rest of their friends in its tentacles, and Anjulie, the wicked sorceress who worshiped it, remained on the platform above, knife in hand. She crept closer and closer to Kymri, who lay weeping over the body of her father. Kitty bolted up the air as soon as she was free, stabbing Anjulie and sending her over the side of the platform to her death.</p><p> </p><p>It wasn't until later, in the middle of a party, that she was able to really think about what Kurt had been doing with that evil woman to warrant her shocked cry of betrayal when he set the team free. All around her, the whole world was celebrating the demise of Anjulie and her horrible god-creature, and the gradual returning of magic to their realm. The noise was a constant hum in her ears, punctuated occasionally by a sharp whoop of joy or the clinking of glasses next to her. Kitty's mind was elsewhere, feeding her own annoyance as she imagined one scenario after another.</p><p>She wandered around the party and found Kurt seated comfortably on a velvet settee, surrounded by women and perfectly at ease. He basked in their attention and laid on all the charm he possessed. Not that he needed to, the women were practically drooling over him. Kitty suppressed a spike of irrational jealousy and irritation.</p><p>He glanced up, saw her, and waved her over. She stayed where she was. If he wanted to talk to her, he could get up himself. She was a little surprised when he excused himself to the ladies and walked over to her.</p><p>“Is something wrong, Kätzchen?” he asked.</p><p>“Why would anything be wrong?”  Kitty's eyes bored into his, and he took a step back.</p><p> </p><p>He could only guess why she was upset, but he thought the odds were good that he was the cause. Mainly because of the way she was glowering at him. He had been blinded by Anjulie's physical beauty and apparent attraction to him. Clues he should have paid attention to, he had ignored. And all the while, Kitty and Rachel and Alistaire had been captives of Anjulie, who had intended to sacrifice them to appease the hunger of her green god.</p><p>“You look upset,” he said, offering an innocent smile and hoping she'd relax, or at least admit what was bothering her.</p><p>“I'm not. It's the middle of a party.”</p><p> </p><p>She looked away, still frowning. It annoyed her to have him asking such questions. Didn't he know? Couldn't he figure it out himself? They'd been offered up as a sacrifice, and what had he been doing? Probably cavorting with the enemy, eating bon-bons or something.</p><p>“Are you mad at me?” he said, surprising her enough to make her meet his eyes at last.</p><p>“Should I be?”</p><p>He held her gaze a long time, before finally looking away with a sigh. “No.”</p><p>His voice was soft and sad, but she was too angry to think about it. He was just putting on that poor-me act he always did.</p><p>“Okay, then I guess you don't need to worry about anything.”  She turned on her heel and walked away, disappearing into the crowd like the ghost she often felt she was. Kurt didn't follow her.</p><p> </p><p>Weeks later, Kitty sat at a table in the corner of a smoky bar, surrounded by a diverse group of aliens clamoring for a story, <em>her</em> story, Excalibur's story. Their train was being resupplied and was already in working order. They'd be able to leave soon, hopefully to find their way home. But before they left, she would tell their tale one more time.</p><p>The aliens wiggled in anticipation of her story. She'd already told them her Fairy Tale, with a few minor changes to the plot, and when she finished it, she promised them one more story before she had to leave. A chair scraped the floor behind her. It was Kurt, come to hear her story, too. Kitty decided with a mischievous grin he couldn't see that he would get a <em>story</em> all right. It would serve him right for being such a jerk, hanging around with that sorceress instead of rescuing them. Did he have any idea how much that hurt? Did he know how much she had worried, and wondered if he might already be dead?</p><p>She led with his crash-landing on Anjulie's floating barge, relating his circumstances with notes of sarcasm and disdain as she described Anjulie's beauty and Kurt's desire to rescue a helpless damsel in distress. Kitty paused to take in the expressions on her alien audience members' faces.</p><p>“<em>Men</em>,” she said with a dramatic sigh, “All those hormones, they really can't help themselves.”</p><p>Behind her, Kurt made a sound that might have been a laugh, but he didn't interrupt her, or contradict her. Kitty continued, adding details as she imagined them—that he'd fallen onto Kymri's head and knocked her out, that Anjulie had pleaded beguilingly for help, that he'd been victorious against an entire boat full of Kymri's pirates.</p><p>Kitty narrated, “Nightcrawler advised Kymri that he would much rather be <em>romancing</em> a lovely lady than dueling her.”</p><p>The audience nodded along, stifling giggles.</p><p>“To which Kymri smartly replied, “I'd sooner snuggle with a sand shark.”</p><p>Whooping laughter surrounded her, and from behind, Kurt chuckled softly, though whether from embarrassment or amusement, it was hard to tell. Hopefully a little of both.</p><p>“Anjulie was so beautiful that our hero was blinded to the truth of her treacherous ways, unable to see her cruelty until it was nearly too late.”</p><p>She finished the story with a flourish of her cape, her audience satisfied and happy with her ending. Kurt was waiting to escort her out, his expression unreadable. Kitty wondered what he thought of her imagined account of his misdeeds. He'd probably laugh it off and accept the embellishments she'd added to his reputation as a pirate scoundrel.</p><p>“Quite a tale, Kätzchen, but not the end of the story,” he said as he walked beside her toward the train. He'd toyed with the idea over the past few weeks of telling her some of the truth. She seemed so irritated every time she looked his way, and refused to admit anything was wrong. He never said anything, unsure what was really bothering her and unwilling to share too much with a child, even if she did think she was mature enough to handle it.</p><p>“It's the happy ending for them, and that's all that matters,” Kitty said. She was in a better mood after telling her story to an appreciative audience, and a slight smile lingered at the corners of her mouth.</p><p>Kitty was surprised when Kurt laid a hand on her back as they walked, gentle even in light of the mocking story she'd just told about him. He didn't look upset at all, more fond than anything.</p><p>“Nightcrawler, why are you looking at me so strangely?”</p><p>“I was just remembering the wide-eyed slip of a girl who bounced into Xavier's like she owned the place.”</p><p>Kitty flushed. What a funny thing for him to be thinking about in that moment. “I was such a kid. Remember how scared I was of you?” He probably had no idea what she thought of him now—a friend, a <em>dear</em> friend, even when she was annoyed with him.</p><p>They stepped onto the train and his hand slipped around to hers. “I pray we'll always be there to stand by each other.”</p><p>She was about to answer him when her eyes caught a flash of movement outside the train as he was speaking, but it was too late to stop Widget's jaunt.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Lies of Omission</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Kurt told Kitty a vague version of the story.  He wasn't entirely on board with Anjulie's game, but insists to Kitty that it was less upsetting than it was.  She is too young to hear the whole truth of it and he's sparing her feelings.  She tells the story as she does out of ignorance, making up details to make the story more interesting.</p><p>This chapter contains some suggestions of dubcon/possible noncon.  Reader use caution.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“What happened? Where were you all that time?” Kitty demanded, wagging her finger at Kurt's embarrassed grin. In the middle of a huge, overwhelming party, she had cornered him to ask why it took him so long to get to her and the team. “And why did Anjulie say you betrayed her?”</p><p>To left and right of them, people were dancing and singing and drinking. The women of Kymri's tribe who had been waiting on Kurt until the moment Kitty arrived demanding answers, dispersed discreetly into the crowd. Kurt shot them apologetic parting glances, then turned his best smile on Kitty. She wasn't having it.</p><p>Resigned to her stubborn nature, Kurt invited her to sit beside him, in a space vacated by a blue-skinned woman who had been listening intently to whatever story he'd been relating. Kurt recognized that Kitty deserved <em>some</em> explanation for his lengthy absence from the team, but he couldn't tell her the truth. She was still a child in spite of all her maturity, and she did not need the sordid details, no matter how she might demand to know the circumstances.</p><p>She sat down reluctantly, most of the bluster fizzling out as she studied her lap, arranging and rearranging the inadequate lengths of fabric typical of the world's clothing. He realized Kitty wasn't so much angry as she was <em>concerned</em>. He wished he could unburden himself to her and tell her everything, every detail of Anjulie's deception and manipulation, how stupid he felt and how used. Her trusting face lifted to his, waiting, believing he would answer her honestly. He hated to lie to her, but there was no doubt a lie of omission was the more honorable choice in this case.</p><p>“I landed on Anjulie's floating barge and at her plea for help, assisted her. Then—”</p><p>“Wait, you <em>assisted</em> her? Geez, Kurt, <em>really</em>?” She dropped her head in her hands in disbelief and irritation. “So we worried about you for <em>nothing</em>?!”</p><p>He gave her a sheepish grin. “Well, no. Not exactly...”</p><p>Kitty's head jerked up, searching his face. She almost reached for him. His heart ached, both for her confusion and pain and worry, and for his own. But he had to keep this from her, so he conjured up a smile and a nonchalant attitude and tried again.</p><p>“Kätzchen, she fooled me at first. But she didn't...she didn't <em>hurt</em> me. I'm all right, just ashamed of myself for not seeing through her lies sooner.” He smiled, hoping she believed his white lies.</p><p>“So...what did she say?” At least now she looked less concerned and more curious.</p><p>He continued, with a small sigh, leaving out details wherever he could. “She told me she needed help, then knocked me unconscious when I turned my back on her. She told me Kymri died in the battle on the floating barge, but I found her in the dungeons awaiting sacrifice to that green squid. Anjulie assured me she had people looking for you. That, unfortunately, turned out to be true.” They'd been searching all right, searching for more victims.</p><p>Kitty opened her mouth to ask more questions. He put a hand on her shoulder and continued before she could ask anything more.</p><p>“Anjulie was a master manipulator...she was able to convince me that she was the fair damsel, and I her knight in shining armor. She was very convincing in her arguments, enough that I didn't leave her to look for you myself. I'm sorry for that, truly, Kätzchen.”</p><p>“And...that's it? Everything is okay?” she said. She was sure he wasn't telling her everything, but what he had left out, she didn't know. Had Anjulie used mind control on him or just lied a lot?</p><p>Kitty's response was not what he had expected. He opened his mouth to answer, gaping momentarily as he wondered how she picked up on these things. He had always thought himself so clever at hiding his true feelings. Once again, he had underestimated her.</p><p>“Yes,” he assured her with his warmest smile. “Yes, Kätzchen, everything is fine.”</p><p> </p><p>Kitty's audience of aliens settled into their seats as she began her story of how Excalibur arrived on their world and saved it from the rule of a wicked sorceress and her killer creature-god. When it was time to tell Kurt's story, she filled in the gaps herself, imagining battles and romance and rescues, almost as if it were an Errol Flynn movie.</p><p>Kurt was impressed. Even without the real story, or even the <em>whole</em> story, Kitty had captivated her audience, himself included. Her version of what happened sounded so much better than the truth—that he was foolish and susceptible to a beautiful sorceress the same as every other man she encountered.</p><p>He patted Kitty's shoulder as they walked briskly through the courtyard outside the bar, on their way to meet the rest of the team and leave for parts unknown. He was glad she was here.</p><p>“Whatever Herr Professor Xavier thought when he admitted you to his school, I'll wager anything he'd be proud as can be of how you've turned out.”</p><p>But she wasn't listening, she was pointing out the window at the Starjammers and the professor as Widget made the jaunt away.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. When Life Gives You Lemons</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Pun intended.  Kurt relates to Kitty much of what happened with Anjulie.  He was pleased to be the object of a beautiful woman's obvious desire, even temporarily.  She tells the story as it was (mostly) related to her.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>The party had died down quite a bit, but in clusters some of the people were still dancing. Meggan and Brian seemed more in love than ever, Kymri had taken Alistaire off somewhere, and Rachel was finding herself elsewhere on the planet. When Kitty found Kurt alone for the first time all day, she sat down and asked him the question she'd been fighting all night.</p><p>“You really want to know what happened?” Kurt said when she asked him.</p><p>“Yes. What did Anjulie mean that you betrayed her?”</p><p>Kurt scratched his head, mouth curving into a sly smile at the memories. Anjulie had turned out to be the epitome of an evil sorceress, but she'd also been the best there was at what she did. And, he also had to admit, to himself at least, that it had felt good to be the object of a beautiful woman's desire. Even if she'd planned to kill his teammates and enslave him later. In those long, passionate moments, it had been fun.</p><p>Kitty's impatient expression made him forget those thoughts as he tried to explain where he'd been while she and Rachel had hung in a meat locker, and Brian and Meggan were being slowly digested by a tentacled beast.</p><p>“You see,” he began, “after I landed on the barge and defeated the army of attackers—”</p><p>“You mean Kymri's army. The army that was trying to <em>overthrow</em> Anjulie. That army?”</p><p>“Uh, yes. But I didn't know it at the time,” he added quickly, offering a placating smile. “We went to her citadel. What a palace, Kätzchen. I've never seen a tub quite like it.”</p><p>Kitty held up her hand. “You took a bath while we were strung up in a smokehouse?”</p><p>“Well, in my defense, I didn't put myself in the tub, nor did I know you were being seasoned for someone's dinner.”</p><p>“You didn't put yourself....?”</p><p>“No, I woke up there. Someone knocked me unconscious on the barge—Anjulie I learned later. I woke up in the tub. Anjulie joined me, professing her indebtedness to me for saving her life.”</p><p>Kitty gave him an incredulous glance and kept her mouth shut.</p><p>“After, uh, after a while, we got to talking, and I did ask her to help me find you. She swore the word had already gone out. At that point, I had no options myself for finding you, so I stayed with Anjulie.”</p><p>“I bet you did,” Kitty mumbled, reading between the lines. Living among a bunch of adults for a year and a half had taught her a lot more than her mother probably expected her to learn in school. Illyana's magazines had filled in a few of the blanks.</p><p>“I didn't know what she was up to until I followed her later, on a hunch. By then, you were already in the clutches of her creature. I'm sorry I couldn't find you sooner.”</p><p>Kitty rolled her eyes. “Sure Fuzzy. You look <em>real</em> sorry.”</p><p>He put a hand on her shoulder and dropped his smile. “I <em>am</em> sorry. If I had known where you were, I would have come immediately. But I <em>didn't</em> know.”</p><p>Being entertained by Anjulie in the meantime hadn't been a bad way to pass the time until he learned the truth. He wasn't sorry about <em>that</em>, anyway. She had looked at him like he was, well, <em>incredible</em>. She'd found his body attractive, not freakish, and it had been a welcome experience.</p><p>“Sometimes you're just unbelievable,” Kitty said, not fooled by his words. “If you had listened to her much longer, we'd all be dead. You realize that, right?”</p><p>“But that didn't happen,” he said, smiling again. He leaned back against the settee cushions and stretched his legs, still pleasantly sore from recent activities.</p><p>Kitty gave up and went off to intervene between her Lockheed and the warrior version of this world, who were facing off in what looked to become a big argument.</p><p> </p><p>Kitty gazed eagerly at her audience in the bar, fingers tapping lightly on the table as she looked forward to roasting Kurt a little with her story of how Excalibur's feats. She knew he was out there, listening, and she hammed it up just for him.</p><p>“And so, once again a hero is felled by a twisted, treacherous soul masked by the prettiest of faces.” Her audience leaned forward to hear more.</p><p>“Evidently, said the mighty Nightcrawler,” Kitty narrated, “someone knocked me out when I wasn't looking. Gee, Nightcrawler, you <em>think</em>?” She paused for dramatic effect. “Anjulie declared her life to be his, as repayment for saving hers, and she was only too eager to demonstrate her gratitude.”</p><p>She shot him a mischievous backward glance over her shoulder. He shrugged and crossed one foot over his knee to wait. Kitty knew how to tell a story, when she was in the mood, and whatever she thought of his exploits, it was sure to be a tale. She enjoyed the attention, too. He leaned back, keeping quiet and letting her have her fun. He'd had his.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Not my favorite version of this.  I honestly have a really hard time imagining him actually doing this.  He's usually a lot more respectful of Kitty, especially when she's a child.  While he has his inappropriate moments with most of his female teammates, for whatever reason, I haven't seen much of that in his dealings with Kitty.  Maybe I just haven't read the right comics.  :-)</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0004"><h2>4. Painful Truths</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Anjulie told the team what she had done and Kitty tells the story as she does to soften the truth for his sake.</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Reader use caution.  Suggestions of dubcon/noncon in this chapter.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Kitty twisted ineffectually in the grip of the giant squid-creature's tentacle. Its grip was too strong, and her powers didn't work on this world. Inside the beast, she could see Brian and Meggan and, worst of all, her sweet Lockheed, trapped and being slowly digested. In another tentacle was Rachel, in another, their friend Alistaire, in still another, this world's version of Lockheed. The only one among them still missing was Nightcrawler.</p><p>Anjulie stood on a platform high above, laughing at her victims' plight and enjoying the added torment of telling them exactly what the fate of their teammate Nightcrawler had been, and would be. Kitty struggled again and again, anger and disgust warring in her chest as she wondered if what Anjulie said was true. Had she really done those things? Enthralled him and made him hers?</p><p>Kitty couldn't believe Nightcrawler could be manipulated so easily, but then where was he? Would he really not come for them? She kicked again, knowing it would do no good. She glared at Anjulie, silently vowing revenge if she managed to escape.</p><p>“Rachel, can't you summon the Phoenix force?” Kitty managed to call out, desperate to escape, twisting every which way to no avail.</p><p>Rachel struggled uselessly again. “No. Sorry, kiddo.”</p><p>A familiar voice shouting from below the platform caught Kitty's attention, and Nightcrawler rushed in with Kymri at his side. Kitty's heart fluttered with fear and hope. If Anjulie had truly seduced him to her side, he could kill them instantly. If not, he could save them. He streaked toward Kitty, and she sent up a silent prayer.</p><p>As he slashed the creature's tentacles, setting Kitty free, Anjulie shrieked, “Nightcrawler, how can you betray me so?” Kitty's relief was instant and dizzying, although that could have been the effect of being able to take a full breath again.</p><p>“In this instance, witch, it is as easy as breathing,” he said.</p><p>“Nice choice in babes, Fuzzy Elf,” she said, the sarcasm directed at Anjulie, not him. He didn't reply, leaping to Rachel's rescue instead. But Kitty had seen his eyes and her relief evaporated.</p><p>Above her, Kymri attacked the priest who guarded Anjulie. Kitty grabbed a sword and ran up the air molecules to help. Kymri felled the priest, then crumpled over his dead body, weeping when she realized he was her father. Anjulie brandished a knife to kill her. Kitty arrived in time to stop her, sliding her sword between Anjulie's ribs and kicking her off the platform to her death.</p><p> </p><p>Kitty wanted to find Kurt, but between cleaning up green alien slime, freeing prisoners, and informing all the inhabitants of the world that the sorceress Anjulie and her beast had been slain, there wasn't much time. Not until the most raucous party Kitty had ever been to was in full swing did she have a chance to catch up with him.</p><p>He was lounging on a purple settee, surrounded by women from Kymri's tribe, and eating grapes like Caesar himself. Kitty snuck in between the women, and Kurt scooted over to make room for her beside him.</p><p>“Grape?” he offered with a smile.</p><p>“No thanks. I came to make sure you were all right.”</p><p>He held out his hands to the women waiting on him. “More than all right. You?”</p><p>“I'm okay now.” Kitty hesitated. Maybe she shouldn't even ask. He arched one dark brow at her and she summoned her courage, “Anjulie said she was going to make you her next priest.”</p><p>“Did she? Seems none of her plans worked out then.” He looked away, accepting more grapes and a large goblet of wine.</p><p>“That's not all she told us. It wasn't right, what she did.” Kitty didn't expect much response, but she wanted him to know she didn't blame him.</p><p>“No, it wasn't. Kymri had no idea the priest was her f—”</p><p>“I meant what she did to you.”</p><p>“Ah. I've lived through much worse than a little mental manipulation, Kätzchen. I assure you, I'm perfectly fine,” he said, but his eyes wouldn't meet hers. He held the goblet out to her. “Wine?”</p><p>She took a sip and wrinkled her nose. “That's <em>wine</em>?”</p><p>“It's rather strong.”</p><p>“I noticed.”</p><p>He gave her a sidelong glance and smirked. “Probably best you avoid it.”</p><p>“The Lockheeds are at it again,” she muttered, glancing across the fire. Lockheed, the First Selectman of the Dracic Confederacy was facing off with Kitty's small friend. She was a little worried for the First Selectman's safety.</p><p>Kitty started to rise, but Kurt grabbed her hand with surprising firmness. “Thank you, Kätzchen,” he said, and his smile was warm and affectionate and, she thought, a little sad.</p><p>Impulsively, she leaned over and hugged him tight, her cheek pressing against his hard enough that she couldn't feel the fuzz at all. He returned her embrace with equal intensity. She could hear his breath in her ear, a little too fast and heavy. When his grip loosened, he leaned away, over the arm of the settee, reaching for something she couldn't see. Kitty shot a nervous glance back at the two Lockheeds, but the moment seemed to have passed, and they were laughing with Alistaire, who had appeared again to dance with Kymri.</p><p>Kurt elbowed Kitty, who turned to find him offering her a plate of something that looked a lot like chocolate and another goblet.</p><p>“You trying to get me drunk?”</p><p>“The opposite, actually. It's not wine. Try it, I think you'll like it.”</p><p>“And this other stuff?”</p><p>“Also good. And not chocolate, despite its appearance.”</p><p>Kitty smiled and settled back on the cushions to eat and drink and relax beside her friend.</p><p> </p><p>The bar was packed and noisy as Kitty settled into the little booth in the corner. Her audience awaited a great story, the tale of Excalibur's victory over a terrible force of evil. She had spent the last few weeks thinking about it now and then, and attempting to craft Kurt's story into something of an adventure. Surely she could make it more of a swashbuckling tale than one of manipulation and seduction by an evil sorceress.</p><p>So she wove a tale of legend, glossing over the less than savory details, and making him out to be more hero than fool. She couldn't change history, but she could spare his feelings and still entertain the audience.</p><p>She began, “When Nightcrawler landed in the middle of a pitched battle in the skies, pleas for help drew him to a Princess's defense, never realizing she had only death on her mind. Though he defeated Kymri's army, and Kymri herself, he never saw the wicked woman who felled him—the very woman he'd been defending—the terrible sorceress, Anjulie.”</p><p>The crowd hissed and booed at her name. Some squirmed in their seats. For the moment, the only reaction Kitty was listening for, though, was Kurt's.</p><p>“His is a tale out of legend,” she continued, “Of feats beyond imagining. He faced the most fearsome of dangers, the most indescribable of perils and coped in an inimitable style uniquely his own.”</p><p>In her story, he was a swashbuckling hero, saving damsels in distress left and right, defeating the villain and becoming a legend in this world. Kurt's expression was a reward she hadn't expected to enjoy so much.</p><p>“A splendid tale, Kätzchen,” he said, “But that's hardly the end.”</p><p>“End of the story, that's what matters to them. Rest only matters to us.”</p><p>She smiled at him, happy that he'd enjoyed the story, and eager to leave that world and its memories behind. His hand rested lightly on her back as they walked, and when he glanced down at her, he was smiling.</p><p>“Nightcrawler, why are you looking at me so strangely?”</p><p>Pride, he thought, his smile widening. Fondness. “I was remembering the wide-eyed slip of a girl who came bouncing into Xavier's school announcing “I'm here” like she owned the place.”</p><p>Kitty laughed. “I was such a kid. Remember how scared I was of you?”</p><p>He remembered. But she had come so far, and now, those days of her shrinking from his sight, unable to meet his eyes, seemed much farther away than the meager eighteen months it had been, according to the calendar.</p><p>“I'm glad you came, Kätzchen. And that you stuck around.” He bowed her into the train, offering his hand as she stepped up. She took it, slipping her fingers between his as they turned to watch the world they'd spent weeks on vanish. “I pray we'll always be there to stand by each other.” As he continued speaking, a flash of light blinded them all momentarily.</p><p>“Stop the jaunt!” Kitty yelled, but it was too late. They were off again, to whatever world Widget might deposit them on next. Kitty's shoulders drooped in disappointment. “It was the professor and the Starjammers,” she said, looking out the window dejectedly.</p><p>“I saw,” Kurt said. “I'm sorry, Kätzchen.”</p><p>She was silent only a short time, then raised a bright smile as she laid a hand on his bare arm. “It's okay. As long as we're together, whatever happens, we'll be all right. We can always count on each other.”</p><p>She gave him a quick hug and headed into the train to change into her usual uniform. Kurt stood at the window a little longer, watching the swirling colors and lights as they passed through the sidereal stream. How right she was.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>The final chapter is still in the works, but I figured I'd get these up while I had the chance.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0005"><h2>5. Conversation in Berlin</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>This takes place after the team has left Earth 1289/Barsoom. </p><p>Kurt and Kitty have a brief conversation before heading out for an enjoyable evening.</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>This is not related to my other fic, "When the Wall Fell."  Kitty is 14.  There's NO smut here, only friendship.   It's based on the Marvel Comics Presents issue #5 "Nightcrawler Takes Berlin."</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“But first,” Kitty announced, “Kurt and I deserve a night on the town.”</p><p>She hadn't forgotten. That explained why she was wearing her clothes from Barsoom, altered a little for modesty's sake. Kurt had wondered about that when she rescued him and Irene from Sabretooth, but he'd been too busy trying to solve a mystery to ask her about it.</p><p>Rachel healed the wounds in his side and Kurt changed to match Kitty for their evening out. He was agreeable to whatever she had in mind. If she wanted to dress up, he'd go along with it.</p><p>Rachel cocked her head at them. “Dressed like that?”</p><p>“A very fun night, if there are no objections,” Kurt replied, grinning and resting his arm on Kitty's shoulder.</p><p>“You wanna join us, Ray?” Kitty said, her face beaming as she locked her fingers between his.</p><p>Kurt hoped she wouldn't be disappointed, she looked so happy. If this world was another bust, he hated to let her down again.</p><p> </p><p>Worlds and weeks earlier, Kitty had gleefully finished telling her tale of how Excalibur vanquished that world from the tyranny of a wicked sorceress and her god-creature. Kurt had listened to her story, enjoying her twist on reality, particularly when she made him out to be more of a hero than he was. She brushed his thanks aside, and said it was only a story after all. It would be what she wanted it to be, and it didn't matter, as long as her audience got their happy ending.</p><p>But it <em>had</em> mattered, maybe not to the aliens, but to him. So he had promised, foolishly perhaps, a night out when they landed on the next world, assuming it wasn't hostile, of course. Berlin had almost managed it, but Sabretooth's attack had squashed their plans. It would have been so much fun to wander around Berlin with her and eat German food.</p><p>Widget's jaunt had been instant the moment Kitty dragged Kurt back onto the train. A rare smooth landing settled them in a station that was clean, but empty except for a blue telephone booth. Rachel's preliminary scan found no obvious threats, so Kitty and Kurt left to see what excitement was to be had in this world.</p><p>Kitty slipped her hand in his, and he realized how much her friendship mattered. It struck him so abruptly he stopped her, blinking as if seeing her for the first time. To cover he brought up the mystery in Berlin.</p><p>“Irene called me beloved, not like a lover but like a child.”</p><p>“Different world, Kurt, likely a different you.” She put her hands on his face, and smiled sweetly. “Family of blood is fate, but we get to <em>choose</em> our family of friends.”</p><p>“When did you get so smart?”</p><p>She laughed at him, grabbing his hand again and pulling him towards the exit. “When I started listening to my teachers. Like you.”</p><p>“I already promised a fun night out, Kätzchen, flattery is no longer necessary.”</p><p>“It's not flattery. And don't worry, I'm totally holding you to it. Ice cream, movies, dancing...oh, a <em>bookstore</em>!”</p><p>“You are a wild one,” he teased. “And if this world has none of those things?”</p><p>“It won't matter. The company is fine.”</p><p>They reached the end of the train station and stood in the doorway scanning the street in front of them. It looked like any Earth street at night, with streetlights illuminating damp pavement. Timing was something else they had no control over. Sometimes they arrived on worlds in the middle of the night, as they had here, other times in the daylight hours.</p><p>The clopping of horse hooves drew their attention down the street, and they watched a horse-drawn buggy turn down a side street. A man crossing the street passed under a lamppost, looking like a Victorian era gentleman. Kitty chewed her lip and glanced down at their Barsoom attire, and then back at the station.</p><p>“Maybe I should've picked something else to wear.” She blushed, and Kurt was eager to set her at ease again. He was sincere in wanting to enjoy some down time with her.</p><p>He shrugged. “What will they do? Send us home? I suppose they might try to arrest us, though,” he added, just to see her eyes go wide and hear her laugh.</p><p>There was a park across the street, dark except for the circles made by the lamps, and he started forward, but she held him back. Her smile was gone, and he thought she was going to insist on going back to the train.</p><p>“I'm glad you're here,” she said. “Y'know, on this whole adventure.”</p><p>Kurt's chest felt warm and pleasant. “And I meant what I said when we left Barsoom. I'm glad you came to Xavier's and stayed. I'm glad it's been you by my side all this time.” She blushed even more, and he looked out into the dark street again. “Come on, let's go see what trouble we can get into.”</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Some of the dialogue in this story is borrowed from the comics.  All credit to Chris Claremont.</p><p>I wanted to add that, in the scene where the team fights Anjulie, Kitty is the one who kills her, by stabbing her and knocking her off the platform.  </p><p>Need more background?   Nightcrawler landed on the floating barge of the princess Anjulie, believed her to be in danger, and defended her, only to be knocked unconscious by her.  He wakes in a huge tub with no idea how he got there.  Anjulie informed him that because he saved her life, she was indebted to him, and proceeded to seduce him.  While he certainly seemed to enjoy himself, the situation is questionable to me mainly because her power is seduction--she seduced the rightful princess's father and made him her enthralled slave, and said she planned to do the same to Nightcrawler.  </p><p>Later, while she was feeding the rest of Excalibur to her squid-like god-creature, Nightcrawler appeared on scene to rescue his friends, along with Kymri, the rightful princess, who wanted to avenge her father's presumed death.  Anjulie asked how he could betray her and he said easily; Kitty commented as if she knew what was going on "Nice choice in babes, Fuzzy Elf."</p><p>I've often wondered why she might say that, and considering that she is telling the story, how did she learn what happened to him?  Canonically, she is fourteen--she has a fifteenth birthday at the end of the Cross Time Caper.  It has always bothered me, the idea that Kurt might have told her what happened with Anjulie (in order for her to tell the story), and so, here we have four possibilities of what might have happened.  I couldn't quite bring myself to write him sitting down and spelling out all the details to her, so he doesn't do that in any of them.  I also can't think of any other place where he treats Kitty with that level of inappropriateness.  Certainly he is sometimes inappropriate with women in different ways throughout the comics, but he is typically very respectful of Kitty, especially in the earlier days of Excalibur when she is still a child.  I know not everyone agrees with my view on that, and I'm not here to argue the point.  Just to explain why these are written as they are, with Kitty imaginatively filling in the blanks and making guesses.</p></blockquote></div></div>
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